


Healing Together

by arlochace77



Category: Homeland, carrie mathison & peter quinn - Fandom, carrie mathison/peter quinn - Fandom, carrie/quinn - Fandom
Genre: F/M, Homeland - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-11
Updated: 2016-01-11
Packaged: 2018-05-13 04:54:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,250
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5695576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arlochace77/pseuds/arlochace77
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>*Season 6 AU* Peter Quinn is alive. But what did he loose in the wreckage, and can it be found again? Carrie Mathison realizes she might be the only one who can help him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Healing Together

They finally had a routine in place. Well at least Carrie did. She had a hard time managing everything since she got back. This wasn’t her typical work. It wasn’t anything like it. Being a full time stay at home was a job in itself and it wasn’t just Frannie she was responsible for. Quinn would hate her saying she was responsible for him, but she felt like she was. And she wanted to be. Carrie had taken him in and when he woke up she was even more dedicated to being there for him when he needed it most. He had seen her at her worst and this was his. Of course she felt bad for him, but it was more than that… way more. It was a change of heart. When she went to the hospital to end his life, she just couldn’t do it. Quinn would have wanted it, she knew that, but she couldn’t lose him. She was selfish. This might even be the most selfish thing she has ever done but he needed her and she realized she needed him anymore. Carrie pushed the thought away. She couldn’t think that way right now. Quinn’s health was her priority. As the days went on however, she realized it wasn’t his. He was frustrated. Carrie had expected him to be, but it was even worse than she imagined. He was resentful and...sad. The psychologist said this kind of thing was normal and that it wasn’t just PTSD..it was way more. And Carrie didn’t know how to deal with it. His motor skills were jumpy, and by jumpy she meant they were hardly there at all. He wasn’t wheelchair ridden but when he did walk he used a walker, and when he tried to grab something, his hand didn’t cooperate with his mind. He was frustrated. Carrie tried not to help him because he wanted to do it on his own but she always gave in and he eventually would let her. It made her happy because he wouldn’t even let the nurses help.  
Quinn was getting better day by day but he was tired of staying in his bed all day and he was tired of watching Carrie go. She kept him company and he enjoyed that. When she wasn’t in his room she would catch him drifting back to his thoughts and back to the darkness. She wouldn’t let him. During the daytime she did the laundry on his bed, watched television in his room, and sometimes she even recleaned things that were already clean so she could keep an eye on him. The nights were her favorite and she thought they were his too. Carrie would make dinner for Frannie and Quinn and they would all gather in Quinn’s room to eat it. Frannie sat on Quinn’s bed and Carrie sat in her chair next to them. Quinn was always better when Frannie was in the room. Carrie even took note that he laughed for the first time yesterday when Frannie tried to say “restaurant”. When dinner was over, she had Quinn choose a book and she would read it to him until he fell asleep. Currently they were reading On the Road and Carrie knew Quinn liked this one because he took longer to fall asleep than usual. On good nights, he asked questions and he would even make a sarcastic utterance whenever the book wasn’t going the way he wanted. That was a good night, but tonight wasn’t a good night.  
Frannie was finally in bed after her bath and Carrie grabbed the copy of On the Road on the table and walked to Quinn’s room. When she got there he was laying there staring off and she could already see he was probably not in any mood for chit chat. Carrie decided he needed these interactions even if he didn’t want them and sat in her chair.  
“Do you want some water before we start? she asked as she flipped through the book trying to find where they left off.  
Quinn didn’t answer.  
It took her a moment to realize but when she looked up, she could see he staring off, lost in thought. She reached for his hand, “Hey, are you alright?”  
He turned to look at their touching hands for a brief second and then looked Carrie in the eyes. There was a pause before he spoke, “Yes just...tired I guess” he said as he smiled.  
She knew this smile. This was Quinn’s reassuring smile but if you knew this smile, it did the exact opposite. He was easier to read than this damn book. “You know we don’t have to read tonight...we could do something else. We could watch a movie or do a puzzle or whatever you want” she told him.  
“I’m really tired tonight Carrie. I think I’m just going to go to sleep if you don’t mind” he stated as he moved his hand from underneath her and places on on his stomach.  
This was the hard part. This is the part where he tried to push her away and if she didn’t know what he was doing, she could have easily let him. Not this time, not anymore she told herself. “ I do mind. I have been waiting all day to finish this book and there is nobody else here to read it with me so if you don’t mind, I would like to finish it with you” she replied.  
“Carrie, I said..”  
“I know this is hard Quinn! I can’t even imagine how hard it is for you but let me help you!” She was standing now and she didn’t even remember doing it.  
“ I just can’t stand the pretending anymore. You have better things to do than to take care of someone who is going to have problems for the rest of his life. I don’t belong here” he admitted. He was getting worked up and now so was she.  
She wanted to yell at him. To scream at him even until he got it. That’s what they always did to prove their point. A screaming match that would usually turn into someone being right and the other person being pissed off about it. They had been through too much to go back to that right now and she needed to take a different approach. Had she ever really been vulnerable and honest with him ever? Honest, yes. Vulnerable… not as much as he had. Not even close. She breathed in and made a decision. “ Quinn, you're right. I am pretending. I’m pretending that I don’t mind you being here and that’s not true.” Quinn’s expression changed from anger to acceptance. It was like he wanted to hear this. “I don’t just mind you being here… I need you here. It’s not just about you. I need you too. We need each other and I’m not going to pretend anymore that I don’t. The truth is… I don’t know if I would be okay if you weren’t here” she admitted. There she did it. Her eyes were welling up with tears and now they were brimming over. His face changed again, but it was a look she hadn’t seen in a long time. He was studying her, thinking. Embarrassed of her tears and the way he was looking at her she picked up the book and stated, “Now let’s finish this book she we can both go to bed.”


End file.
